Hard to say but harder to feel
by Dina
Summary: TATE. The team is still acting as usual but some things are changing.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did I wouldn't destroy something great.

It takes place six months after Twilight. The shooting on the roof happened but no one got hurt. Ari hasn't been found.

This story hasn't nothing to do with Winter Dream or any other story I've written. I'll write more on Winter Dream when I have time and if people are still interested in it.

……………………..

Tony went in to Abby's lab and turned of her stereo. He needed to talk to her about something or rather hear her opinion about something.

"Hey…Don't turn that off." Abby said a little upset over losing her music and focus. She worked better with music on.

"I need to ask you something." Tony said to her.

"Ok…ask away." Abby said walking over to one of her machines.

"How do you tell people that you've applied for a new job?" Tony asked her.

"Gibbs or Kate?" Abby said as she turned around facing him.

"Both." Tony quickly answered.

"Tell Gibbs when you know you got the job. Tell Kate as soon as possible with only you two in the room." Abby suggested.

"I thought maybe after the stake out." Tony told her.

Tony was blocking Abby's view so she couldn't see her computer so she moved a few feet. When she moved she saw someone standing in the doorway.

"I was going to ask if you're finished." Kate said to Abby.

Tony turned around in fear. How much had she heard?

"Did you hear everything?" Tony asked her.

"I didn't hear a thing." Kate replied.

"No. They're not finished. I'll let you know." Abby answered her. As soon as Abby had replied, Kate quickly left the room.

"She heard something." Tony sighed. He had waited all day for this moment to talk to Abby alone and it all still backfired.

"You better find out how much she knows. Denying your feelings for each other will only make it worse. The last six months have been tough and you two don't make it worse. I don't want to be around this mess one more second." Abby told him firmly. Tony listened and just left the room without saying anything to Abby.

…………….

"Ok, so we are pretty sure he'll be there tonight. It's an easy job. Just sit in the car and watch. When he comes arrest him! Simple as that." Gibbs said when Tony came back. Kate sat at her desk ignoring Tony.

"So what if his friend leaves his apartment. Should we follow him or not?" Tony asked. Following people was a lot more fun than sitting in a car watching nothing happen.

"If he leaves then he must have a reason to leave so follow him. If his friend suspects you are following him then you have to make a diversion of some sorts. Are my instructions crystal clear?" Gibbs asked them.

"Yes, boss." Kate said looking down at her papers which contained all the info they needed on the case.

"Then I expect some results tomorrow morning." Gibbs said before heading back to his desk. While they were going to find the suspect he was going to work on finding Ari. Six months had gone but the search was still on even if they weren't officially working on finding him.

Abby then come out requesting to talk to Tony before he left. Kate watched them walk away to her lab wondering what they were talking about. About her again or something else?

…………………..

Kate and Tony went out to the car NCIS used for stake outs. Tony went to the driver's seat.

"How come you are driving?" Kate asked a little upset over him taking over. They shared this case and he wasn't the boss.

"Because I want to. Do you want that too?" Tony answered.

"Just don't imply I always want to do it your way. You don't know me." Kate told him.

"I don't do that." Tony defended himself.

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No!" Tony said while opening the door.

"Yes, you do. Admit it." Kate said while she opened her door.

Then they sat down.

"I won't admit to things I don't do." Tony continued.

"Like talking about me with Abby behind my back." Kate blurted out. She didn't mean it to come out that way.

"Let me explain…I'll tell you when the time is right but you already know don't you? I didn't want you to find out that way." Tony told her.

Before any of them could say anything both got a text message. They read it and didn't answer the person who sent it.

"I didn't know it was on." Kate told Tony.

"I think it turns on as soon as the door is opened, someone is in it or near the car. A sophisticated car. It's all for our safety." Tony explained. They talked about the two-way radio communication system which Abby was able to listen to. She had texted both of them with the message of it being on.

"Abby, walk away from it for a few minutes." Tony told her.

"Why did you say that?" Kate asked surprised.

"Because I have a lot to tell you." Tony admitted.

Abby smiled and hoped what she wrote worked. She had written a bit more than just that the radio being on.

"I have applied for two new jobs and I don't know if I'll get them."

"So you're leaving. I never thought you would leave. You seemed so happy here." Kate said trying to sound surprised but she had overheard them talking before.

Abby couldn't help but stay listening to them.

"I was and still am…I think a change is needed…To fill a void or something." Tony continued.

"If that makes you happy." Kate said trying to act neutral since being happy for him was hard for her to be.

"It does." Tony said before starting the car and driving off.

They didn't say a word to each other on the whole way to the suspect's friend's apartment building and Abby was unhappy. Why was it so hard for them to confess their true feelings for each other? Why did Tony feel that it would be for the best to leave? She knew she should have tried more to persuade him to stay.

………………Five hours later…………

Abby hated stake outs. She hated being the one who had to stay up and listen to what was going on. Tony and Kate hadn't talked much to each other and when they did it wasn't about something interesting.

"Kate, he has looked out through the window many times the last hour. I know he has seen us. We have to do something before it all backfires." Tony warned her.

"We can't leave in case he comes." Kate told him looking up at the apartment. Just then the guy looked out of the window again. Tony saw that too and felt so bad about messing this up that he felt that only one thing could be done.

"Kate, kiss me." Tony told her.

That instantly got Abby's attention and she didn't feel as tired as before..

"If he thinks we're a couple he won't suspect we're here to get his friend." Tony told her.

"I don't love you. I know Abby wrote the same thing in your text message." Kate said thinking this is way he is playing this practical joke on her.

"I don't love you either. " Tony explained.

"So you just thought you could joke with me while we're on a mission. That's just so typical you. So Tony…" Kate said upset.

"You're reaction is just typical Kate. Plain boring. I guess nothing exciting happens in your life."

"I'm not boring. You want me to act like you! Like a child who can't do anything right and has to ask others for advice. I sure hope you didn't apply for a job where you are the boss." Kate said verbally attacking him.

"That's low even coming from you." Tony said to her. He was pretty upset.

……….

Then they heard a car drive fast away from them. While they were fighting they had stopped watching the apartment. Now someone had driven away quite fast from them and they didn't know who it was.

"What's going on?" Abby asked after the sudden silence from them.

"A car drove of quite fast. We don't know who it was." Kate answered. She didn't have to press anything to talk to Abby since the microphones and transmitters where around the car.

"Then drive after him!" Abby told them. Tony quickly drove away so he could catch up with the car. They were lucky because the guy had stopped at a red light so they could get closer to him. They followed him to another apartment building which was outside a big grocery shop. Tony and Kate parked outside the grocery shop so they could see them well but not be too near and make them suspicious.

"Why don't you go and buy some food since we don't know for how long we'll be here." Tony asked her.

"Why can't you do it?"

"I'm sitting in the driving seat and both can't be here since it would look suspicious." Tony told her. Kate gave up and just went out to buy something.

………Ten minutes later…………

Kate paid and when she went out of the doors she saw two guys at the car. She couldn't see who they were. Kate didn't know what to do. She took up her phone and called Abby. Why hadn't Abby called her?

"Abby, what's going on?"

"I've just called for back-up. I was just about to call you. It's them and they know you are following them. Tony said both have guns. I suggest you stay away. It's too dangerous." Abby told her.

Then both of them saw Kate. One of them shot at her but the shot wasn't well directed and missed her by miles. When she looked up again she saw one of the men shoving Tony to the passenger seat and the other one went in the back. They quickly drove away with Tony.

…………………

I hope you will like this story. I hope you will write reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

………A while later……

The backup came quite quickly but they were long gone. Abby and Gibbs were among them.

When Abby and Gibbs found Kate she was standing and just staring out at the parking lot.

"Are you alright?" Gibbs asked her.

"I'm fine. They turned to the right. I don't know where they are." Kate told them.

"Let's get you back to the car." Abby said to her.

"What happened? You weren't supposed to be separate!" Gibbs asked Kate.

"We didn't want them to be suspicious so I went in and bought some food for us so it looked like we were customers. I guess they saw right through it and saw their chance when I went in. When I came out they were at the car and it was too late. They shot at me and missed. When I looked up they had shoved Tony to the passenger side and then they drove away. I couldn't stop them. I couldn't…" Kate explained to Gibbs before everyone started to examine the crime scene. Gibbs didn't want to put the blame on either Kate or Tony. He was just mad at the situation. Mad at the world. Too mad to say anything encouraging to Kate.

Abby and Kate slowly went to the car.

"Abby…You heard everything didn't you?" Kate asked her.

"Every single word…He's been through this before and he has experienced. He isn't a NCIS for nothing." Abby reassured her.

"If he dies I will never forgive myself. I was so mad at him for leaving that…" Kate said before stopping. It was like in the movies. Couples arguing before something really bad happens but they weren't together only just like partners.

"That you weren't thinking clear. What happened isn't your fault. He knows that." Abby continued trying to make her feel better. They were all trained for this and knew how to handle situations like this but for some reason Abby knew Kate thought this was different.

"Feel the urge to say everything you didn't get the chance to. I heard everything you said to each other. There was no ounce of hate in your voices. Tony knows that." Abby continued.

"We need to find him. There must be other locations they most likely would go to." Kate then said.

Abby and Kate never reached the car. Instead they turned around and started to help Gibbs.

A lot was going on in her head. Nothing what Abby ever said could get the guilt out of her.

…………..Back at NCIS……..

"I think everyone knows what to do. We'll find them." Gibbs told them after assigning tasks to everybody including Kate who refused to go home.

After Gibbs speech Kate looked at Tony's desk. She remembered what he told her a few days ago when he as usual threw a paper ball at her.

"I'll watch your back if you watch mine."

Kate couldn't imagine that would cause her to be so emotional. She just wanted to run away and never come back. Tony had realised something she hadn't. NCIS wasn't the right place for him and now she knew it wasn't the right place for her either. Tears started to run down her face and she didn't want the others to see so she quickly went to the bathroom. Abby saw her and went after her. Kate heard someone walking behind her when she entered the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" Abby asked her.

"I can't take this one more time. It's too hard. Too physical and emotional demanding. No work should be this way. I'm resigning too." Kate told her while drying of her tears.

"Then why are you crying?" Abby asked her.

"I don't know. I don't want to cry. I got a headache. I just want to find Tony and then go home."

………………….Back at the car 10 minutes later…………..

Tony was now in the trunk. They had taken away his weapons, watch and everything else which was sharp. He had watched closely were they were going before they put him in the trunk. Now he only wished that Abby was clever enough to place microphones in the trunk too but who would have thought a person would be put in a NCIS car's trunk. Trying wasn't going to hurt but he had to talk quite quiet since he didn't know if the kidnappers would hear him too.

Just as he was going to start to talk he heard the car doors slam.

"I suggest we just drive the car in the lake. A dead body can't speak."

Tony could only think about what Ducky would say to them at the moment. Too bad no one could hear them. Then he started to think about what happened when Kate and he spoke earlier in the day. It was now over never.

"I'm in the trunk. They put some duct tape around my hands and feet. We drove quite far on a small road with very few houses before they put me in the trunk. The road was very bumpy so I don't think we're on a road with asphalt surface."

"I don't want to get the death penalty." The other kidnapper said.

"You won't if they don't find him. Let's get out of here."

Tony wondered what was going to happen now. He knew he should have stayed put and not go after them. He made the wrong decision and now he could die. Tony thought it was ironic that he would die the same day he told Abby and Kate about his decision to leave. He had so much to tell them especially Kate. Tony didn't want to die with Kate feeling she could have done something to prevent this.

"I'm alright. It's nobody's fault." Tony said not knowing if anyone could hear him.

………..At NCIS………

Everyone was listening closely to what was said but they didn't hear anything else than the trunk opening. Neither Tony nor the kidnappers said another word. They feared that they had heard Tony's last words. Abby looked at Kate who tried to act as normal as possible but she could tell she was trembling inside. Abby thought that Kate wasn't alone in feeling this way.

The car had a tracking advice but it couldn't get tracked until someone either in the car or at NCIS turned it on. It could only be monitored back at NCIS so a lot of time got wasted until someone remembered about the tracking advice.

Then the monitor started to beep indicating the car was once more moving. Then they heard the trunk closing. A few seconds later the tracking advice and microphones weren't working anymore.

With every beep Kate's heart skipped. It was hard thinking that he may be drowning as they speak but no one spoke. They were all quiet.

"How far are they from where he is?" Gibbs then yelled.

"Maybe 20 minutes." McGee answered.

"Get everyone there." Gibbs demanded.

...Two hours later…………

The car had been dragged up from the lake. If Tony was dead then it would be the first time Gibbs had lost someone while on duty. He felt responsible. He should have known they were potential cold hearted murderers. He wouldn't have sent Kate and Tony on such a dangerous mission if he knew that.

The police had forensic people there so they could examine the car. Gibbs didn't want his team to do it since it was personal. Still everyone in the team was there. Gibbs went closer but he had to back since the water had to run out of the car before they could examine it. The doors were opened and Tony's things except his guns all came out of the car. A policeman then told everybody the guns weren't there. Kate thought it was such a wrong thing to say but she knew murderers with guns are a bad combination. Kate picked up his watch. The watch he just hours ago had constantly watched to see if the time would go faster. Tony's watch was still going but time was now going slower. Then she looked up as the police headed to the trunk.

"Another car drove away from here. He can be in it. We heard one of them didn't want to hurt Tony." Abby had told her a few minutes before. Those words kept going around in her head as the trunk was slowly opened. The sad part was that even Abby didn't believe it. Why would they have gone to all this trouble to let the car drive over the little cliff to make sure the car would never be found since NCIS already knew who they were?

……………………..

Feedback would be nice.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate wondered how it would be if she saw the face of the one who opened the trunk. Would she see on his or hers face that Tony was there? How would she react? She hated for not being allowed to act like a family member who could show their true emotions. Kate didn't want to try to be calm and act like a NCIS agent because that was the last thing she felt like right now but it was all she was. She looked around and it felt like everything went in slow motion. From the few steps the forensics people took to every syllable which came out of Abby's mouth. Kate wasn't focused on anything but her body was focused on feeling numb. Concentration was needed here but she couldn't even turn her head so she would stop looking at the car. Right now the car was the most important thing in her life. Never had a car had that kind of meaning to her and never had she ever imagined it would.

"Kate, Caitlin…"Abby said after trying to get her attention for a while now.

"Uhh…" Kate told her not really knowing what came out of her mouth.

"Let's get back to the car. They'll let us know there." Abby told her. She had seen how she had frozen up more and more the closer they got to open the trunk. She feared a break down of some sorts and this wasn't the right place for it to happen.

"No." Kate said partly because she couldn't move and partly because she wanted to find out immediately if he was there.

"I'm here." Abby said while putting her arm around her comforting her. Kate felt that but it was still hard for her to comprehend what was still happening. She was just so focused on this one thing.

……………………

The trunk was opened. It was a simple as that but the team felt it was the opposite.

"No one is here." One man yelled.

The sigh of relief was let out by most of the people surrounding the car.

Kate then hugged Abby. It was the only thing she could do without anyone thinking she acted strange. They stood there for a while just hugging without saying a word. It was the best way of consoling each other.

"You were right." Kate then said to her.

"About what?" Abby asked but she knew what Kate was talking about.

"Everything…I love him and I don't want him to quit his job…I shouldn't quit my job…We need to find him." Kate told her friend. Abby was really glad that finally Kate admitted to herself and somebody else about her true feelings.

During the hug Gibbs had walked to them to say they were heading back to the office. They were so wrapped up in everything that they didn't hear him come and they didn't notice Gibbs heard everything. He knew he had to put that aside because his first priority was to find Tony. As much as he thought about how much he had invested in his two best agents he needed to just focus on finding Tony. Being human isn't always the easiest thing, Gibbs thought.

He slowly moved away from them and it was quite easy since there were so many people in this small area.

………….

Gibbs waited a few seconds before approaching them. He told them to get in the car because the search and rescue mission was still on and they needed to get back to the office.

……….Two hours later………

"It's 4. 15 am. No new update. Anyone want coffee?" McGee asked.

Most of them were too tired to say anything and that meant no one wanted coffee. All of their energy had been wasted on finding clues about the kidnappers' whereabouts but they hadn't come closer finding out just that one such important piece of fact.

Then suddenly a phone rang. McGee picked it up and listened to what the person on the other line said.

"A body has been found. A man around Tony's age and who fits his description was found in a park. We need to get someone to check if it is Tony. I hate to ask but who should do it?" McGee asked.

"I'll do it." Gibbs volunteered. He felt it was his duty since it was him who was the boss.

"I'll go with you." McGee quickly said.

"Me too." Abby and Kate then said at the same time.

"I need you here. McGee is coming." Gibbs commanded.

Both Kate and Abby were unhappy about the decision but didn't show it at all.

………..Back with the kidnappers………

"We did the right thing, right?" one of them asked the other.

"Yeah, we did. Dumping him was the best we could do. We have other things to think about." The man replied. They weren't alone in the house. A few other men were there too. You could see guns lying openly and other things which you could associate with criminals.

"No more talk about this. What's done is done." Another man then said from the other side of the room. No remorse was shown from any of the people in the room.

………………..At NCIS………

The phone rang again. This time Gibbs picked it up. He didn't say much and even if everyone was listening in to what he was saying no one knew what the conversation was about.

"I think we all need to get to the hospital…Agent Dinozzo is there." Gibbs told them.

"Have they identified him already? Did they match his picture with that guy?" Abby asked him wanting to know for sure. Kate felt for the first time that Tony was really dead. A body and Gibbs said he was in the hospital. Now when the tears and anger should have come other things came instead. The feelings of losing him and now being lost herself.

"He's alive. Found in an alley." Gibbs explained.

…………..At the hospital………..

Except from some bruises, a broken collar bone, a broken rib and some scratches Tony was fine. Everyone had been there to see him. After only seeing them for a few minutes the doctor said they had to go back to the waiting room. He was alone again. Alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to be alone. Tony got up from his bed and walked out to the waiting room.

"Have you found them?" Tony asked them.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting!" Kate immediately said.

"It was boring. So answer my question!" Tony demanded.

"Not yet but we have some clues." McGee answered.

"Kate can walk you back to your room." Abby then quickly blurted out. This was the opportunity they needed. Now they could talk alone. Kate looked at Abby who ushered her to go up and so she did. Slowly Kate and Tony went back to his room.

"Did you hear me while I was in the trunk?" Tony asked.

"Yes."

"I meant it. This isn't your fault." Tony told her while Kate helped him into his bed.

"I realised I don't want you to leave." Kate told him. She knew baby steps were better than no steps at all.

"I realised something too. Actually I realised two things." Tony told her. He went up from the bed and looked to see if she wanted the same thing as he did.

"And that is?" Kate asked. Both came closer and closer and just as they were about to kiss…

"Sorry, but Mr Gibbons needs to lie here too." A nurse said rolling him into the room.

Tony looked at them and made a quick decision. He kissed Kate and she kissed him back. None of them cared who else was in the room. Then they broke the kiss and stood there.

"What did you realise?" Kate then asked.

"I love you and I hope you'll come with me." Tony told her.

"Come with you?" Kate asked surprised.

"To wherever I'm moving." Tony explained.

"I'm not leaving NCIS." Kate said to him.

"It's a problem then." Tony told her feeling a bit worried.

"It is. I love you and I love my job." Kate told him.

"I love you too. One of us has to make a choice." Tony continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks** shirik **for your truthful feedback. I am quite impatient and that is hurting my story. I'm glad I read it just before I posted chapter 4. I changed a few things so this story will be longer than maybe five chapters.

About Tony's injuries. I was vague and my intention was to write that he wasn't severely injured. He could walk but it hurt a bit because of his one broken rib. A bit like SWAK/Twilight where it didn't take so long for Tony to come back to work.

I'll try to work on writing good TATE moments. I know that's why you all are reading this story. Although they are probably not in this chapter.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………..One month later…….

Abby had been an unwillingly involved spectator to the office drama for a month now. Now the tension had been built up for a month without anyone wanting to tell the other one the truth afraid of making it worse. They knew better but did that help? The first week Abby tried to help out she quickly gave up. The revelation that Gibbs knew about Tony's decision didn't make it easier for her. It wasn't her problem and she confronted Tony and Kate about the fact that Gibbs knew. Their reaction surprised her. They still didn't want to talk to Gibbs about it especially since the uncertainty about if Tony would get the job or not was still big. Abby felt the team grew apart for every day which passed but no one wanted to do anything about it and why should she be the icebreaker. When McGee one day came to her asking what was going on Abby felt she should tell him. She did just that but the others felt she had no right in telling him. She regretted it at first but now she thought that the others would never fill him in and that would hurt McGee more. Being left out of something in a team like this wasn't good especially for such a long time as it had been. With everything going on Kate still confided in Abby. It was important for Kate and Abby to keep their friendship even if the friendship was now put through difficult tests. Abby knew one thing the rest in the team didn't know. Kate and Tony were together everyday so they would get a chance to really get to know each other before several big decisions had to be made. They practically lived together in Tony's apartment since the first few days he was home resting and Kate stayed with him during that time. She just didn't manage to move out and Tony wanted her to stay to explore their feelings for each other. Today they had to take the consequences of that decision. Today everyone had to take the consequences of everyone's decisions including Abby's own.

………………At the office………..

Abby had once again thought about the situation but she promised herself it was for the last time. This wasn't her mess. She had her private life and so did the rest in the team. It was that she was going to focus on not others' private lives. She looked at Tony who stood in the middle of the floor. At least Gibbs had known for a few days what was going on she thought.

………………..

"It's just an interview. Ok, it is in New York. I don't know if I'll even like the place." Tony told them.

"Yeah, you will. You don't have to try to cheer us up." McGee told him.

"I never thought…Well this isn't goodbye. You'll see me on Monday again. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will go so fast that you will ask yourself on Monday what happened to the weekend. "Tony told them trying to get them to think about something else. It was who he was. Kate knew it too. She hated saying goodbye to him but this time she knew he would come back. They had their private goodbye in the morning. Now it was their "work" goodbye.

Tony looked at Kate and walked up to her desk. She was sitting down and he thought she looked both beautiful and sad at the same time. It hurt him so much for leaving her. Much more than he could imagine.

"The offer still stands. I love you." Tony told her before turning around.

"I love you too." Kate said but she didn't look up as he walked away. He walked away on a Thursday but would he walk back in her life on Monday?

…………….

After the elevator doors had closed Abby walked up to Kate.

"What offer?" Abby wondered.

"He gave me plane ticket so I can fly to New York tomorrow evening. I don't know what to do. If I go what will that send for signals to him? If I don't go will I lose him? It's a lot of pressure. It's like he wants me to make a decision now. I can't. I won't. We had a fight over it yesterday when he told me about his plan. It was our first fight. I think we both hated it so much but he was the first to apologize this morning. He said he didn't want to pressure me into anything and this weekend would only be a fun weekend with no strings attached. Still I don't know if I can trust him. I know he'll save my life if needed to but I don't know if he wants to save what we have. I feel silly for feeling that way." Kate explained.

"Have you told him that?"

"I tried but it didn't work. He didn't want to argue again. I don't know what's wrong with him. I don't know what to do." Kate said sadly.

"Ever tried to see it from his point of view? Maybe he feels you are pressuring him. Pressuring him to stay." Abby asked.

"I've thought about that and I've clearly said to him I don't want to do that." Kate said to her friend.

"Unintentionally maybe you did…You don't know how he feels about it if you don't ask him."

"It isn't my fault. I've tried to make him talk the last couple of days and instead he gives me a plane ticket. That's a reason to not go with him." Kate explained feeling lost, lonely and so much more.

"I can't tell you what to do. So are you going to Tony's after work?"

"Yeah…Where else would I go since most of my things are there?" Kate answered.

The answer told Abby so much more than Kate ever realised.

"I need to swing by apartment but then I'll come to you. It was a while just the two of us spent some time together." Abby told her.

"You're right. I like that idea." Kate said now having a little smile on her face.

"Good."

…………….The next day……………..

"I'm so sorry about talking so long with Tony last night." Kate told her friend. It was the thousandth time she had apologized.

"You needed to talk and I watched TV so time went quite fast. It was only a half an hour or so you were gone." Abby told her trying once again to make her feel better.

"More like 45 minutes but thanks for being so cool with it. I had a great time last night. Thanks for coming over. You're a good friend." Kate said appreciating her friend's nice efforts.

"It was nothing. That's what friends are for. I needed last night just as much as you." Abby told her.

"You know you can talk to me anytime. I'm here for you. I'm sorry if I've been too occupied with my problems and not seeing yours. I'm glad that your relationship with your boyfriend is going better now. Everyone has some rough times in their relationship but they are meant to get through." Kate told her.

"I know someone who can apply that to her own relationship." Abby told her. Just before Kate could answer her cell phone rang. She saw who it was.

"It's Tony." She said before walking away to a corner to be alone. She didn't want the whole office to hear their conversation.

………..A while later………..

"So what did he say?" Abby asked when she came back.

"That it is ok if I don't come." Kate replied calmly. Abby took it as a sign they hadn't fought.

"Has he done the interview?" Abby asked curious.

"No. He's doing it in a half an hour. He promised to call as soon as it was over." Kate told her.

"I see you are smiling. That's a good sign." Abby said noticing how relaxed she felt now. It was a drastic change to how she was when they came to work this morning.

"Yes." Kate said smiling some more.

"You two are always talking. Is any work ever getting done?" Gibbs asked the two of them.

"Yes, boss." Kate told him.

"I'm on my way." Abby replied. She knew Kate and her would talk much more later on.

………………..

Gibbs didn't want agent Todd and agent Dinozzo to leave but he knew that was inevitable. If they wouldn't leave now they would leave when they started a family. He didn't know what to say to make them stay. Could he say anything to make them change their minds?

He didn't know what to do.

………….Back in New York……..

Tony sat outside the room inside the FBI building. It felt strange being here. Tony felt out of place. He missed NCIS already.

"You can go in now." Someone told him. A few seconds later he sat down on chair with four other persons there.

"I see you applied for a job here. Are you up for it?" one of them asked. He thought it was strange no one introduced themselves.

"Yes, I am." Tony answered feeling that something was not right.

"You got a recommendation from our agent Blunt. How do you know him?" another man asked.

"What's going on here?" Tony asked.

"I think we have the right to ask you the same. How do you know him?" the same man asked again now having a threatening voice.

"I have no idea who he is." Tony answered. He only said what he was instructed to say even if it meant lying.

"Right…We've checked you out! We know what you are up to. Either you work with us or you're under arrest!" a third man said.

"I have no idea on what you are talking about." Tony said calmly.

Everyone watched how Tony reacted and they were quiet for a little while.

"I think you've passed the first test…I'm agent Malone, this is agent Lopez, Taubenfeld and James. You're not here for just an interview. You got the job if you still want it but first you have to do something for us." Agent Malone explained.

"You're involved in our case and we suspect you know much more than you've told anyone. Does your boss know?" Malone continued.

"They all think I'm here for an interview." Tony explained.

"Including your girlfriend?" agent James asked.

"Yes. Just leave her out of it." Tony told them meaning what he said. He was pretty mad at them but tried to act calm. Tony quickly realised what was going on.

"If we thought they would have killed you we would have stopped it. They never kill anyone until they've finished their jobs." Agent Taubenfeld told him.

"I wish I knew it before they kidnapped me. I applied for this job before Blunt even contacted me. I don't want to get this job because of a case you are working on. Then I rather go back to the job I have now." Tony told them. All he ever wanted felt so out of reach right now. Even a simple job interview wasn't simple enough.

"Blunt works for them. That's why I know they've called you eight times and Blunt has talked to you four. We know what they have told you. We know their methods. The one thing we don't know is if anybody else here works for them." Malone then told him.

"So Blunt is a bad guy?" Tony asked shocked.

"He came to us the first time they threatened him and since that day he has worked undercover. Not everyone here has the guts to do so. Not since they killed one of our agents. Everyone has families to think about. I know you have too." Agent Lopez told him.

"If you suggest what I think you are suggesting then the answer is no. If I don't mess with them then they won't mess with me. If taking this job means they will be in my life then no thanks. I'm happy where I am now. I think that is all." Tony said before going up from his seat.

Then he heard a door open and a man stepped in.

"I'm agent Jake Blunt. Nice to finally meet you." He said walking up to Tony.

"Hi! I just told your colleagues I'm not interested. The same thing I told you three weeks ago."

"They know you are in New York. Your kidnappers are in a much bigger network than you could ever imagine." Blunt told him.

"Al Queda?" Tony asked.

"A similar one with lots of money, smart people and information…I suggest you should wear a wire during your stay here." Blunt told him.

Tony felt he couldn't say no anymore. He had no choice. It wouldn't hurt since he was going to be in New York all alone. They all then left the office to go to another room to talk some more.

…………After the interview……….

Tony stood outside the FBI building and wondered what the heck he had agreed to. This dream job didn't seem as a dream job anymore. Then someone bumped into him. Soon that person grabbed his arm and now he was standing next to the wall. There were so many people walking on the street that what happened went unnoticed by everyone.

"I know you've talked to Blunt. He will recommend you. You'll get the job. We'll give you further instructions soon. Have your phone on." The man said to him. Before Tony could say anything the man had disappeared into the crowd.

Soon his phone rang. He wondered if it was Blunt who had heard everything. How could he keep having the wire on when he still didn't trust Blunt? Maybe Blunt was double crossing the FBI too? Just like Ari is doing? Being so messed up that you don't even know who you are working for anymore. Tony didn't want to answer it but it kept ringing and ringing. He picked it up from his pocket and answered.

"It's me. What took you so long? Are you still in the interview? It took forever for you to call me so I thought you had forgotten." Kate wondered. She waited for an answer but it didn't come.

"Are you there?" Kate asked raising her voice a little in case he didn't hear her.

"I'm here. The interview went fine. I'm just walking around in the city. I think I'll get the job." Tony told her wondering how her reaction would be.

"That's great. I just wanted to say I've changed my mind. I'm coming tonight. I hope you can pick me up." Kate told him feeling quite happy about seeing him again.

"Ohh…" Tony said. This morning he would have been ecstatic over this news but now he was far from it. Also she was happy about him getting the job. Why was she suddenly so happy, Tony wondered?

"You don't seem to be as enthusiastic about it as I hoped. Is something wrong?" Kate asked wondering if he wanted to break up with her because of his new job. She had jumped to conclusions since she waited so long for him to call her back.

"I am. I'll pick you up. Why don't I call you from the hotel where there is a lot less noise?" Tony suggested.

"Ok. Can't wait to talk to you and also see you. I've missed you." Kate told him.

"I've missed you too. Bye" Tony said before hanging up abruptly. Kate didn't get the chance to say goodbye but she was going to talk to him soon and that was all that mattered.

Tony knew he had to go back in and talk to them again. This mission could go badly and he didn't want Kate to suffer because of it. Tony really felt he could need Gibbs right now. If only he could tell him and maybe even Kate.

…………At NCIS………

"I guess it was a long interview. He didn't sound like himself. He said he'll call later." Kate told Abby.

"The selection process is probably different there than here." Abby told her.

"I still think Gibbs method is probably the best." Kate told her.

"I agree." Abby told her.

"Are you still talking? We're trying to find some people here!" Gibbs said referring to them who kidnapped Tony. It had been a hard case to crack and they didn't know how to find more clues. Gibbs had wondered why they were so well at covering up and dusting up their tracks.

Before he could yell at them some more his cell phone rang. He hated his phone so much right now.

……………Later that day at the airport in New York…………….

Kate walked slowly but as soon as she saw Tony she couldn't stop herself from almost running. Tony started to walk faster too but there were a lot of people there waiting for their loves ones too. Soon they were in front of each other.

"I've missed you so much." Kate told him.

"I wasn't gone so long." Tony said with a big smile on his face.

"Long enough." Kate said while putting down her bags.

"I missed you too." Tony said before kissing her. Then he hugged her tightly. He knew he loved her so much and it hurt like hell that he didn't know how this weekend would go.

"The hotel is great. You will love it. We can order room service as soon as we get there." Tony told her while picking up her bags.

"I'm starving. I think we'll have a lot of fun this weekend. Just the two of us." Kate said happy not aware of the drama which was unfolding.

On one side of the room Tony could see one of the FBI agents he had met today. On the other side he could see the man who bumped into him outside FBI. Tony was just glad those two were unaware of each other because then all hell would break lose.

……………At their hotel room………….

"Caitlin Todd. I love you." Tony said as they were both sitting on the bed. Kate wondered what he was going to say. It must be too soon to propose. That serious hadn't they've become or did Tony think that? Kate knew she had to prepare herself for the worst and for the best.

"I know. I love you too."

"That's why it is so hard to say this." Tony told her.

Kate then just felt he would break up with her. She could tell it in his voice.

"I think we are serious. Really serious. Do you feel the same?" Tony asked her.

A sigh of relief came out of her but now she didn't know what to say. She had to think for a little while.

"I want us to be." Kate replied.

"We're on the same page then. I think we will have a great weekend together." Tony told her before kissing her. He had wanted to tell her but it was so hard. Jeopardizing her life wasn't worth it. Now he only wanted to make this the best weekend they'll ever have together because he was pretty sure they couldn't be together anymore no matter how much both of them wanted them to be.


	5. Chapter 5

…………Saturday morning………..

"Good morning, sunshine. You look very beautiful today." Tony told her when he woke up.

"Is it time to get up already? Can't we lie in bed all day long?" Kate said not wanting to get up.

"We have plans." Tony told her. Kate started to stretch her arms and Tony pulled her closer to him. Her head was resting on his chest. They had had a wonderful night and he didn't want this moment to end. The woman he loved was lying in his arms and somehow he hoped it would be this way forever. Still he was scared someone would destroy the door and shoot them any second now. Tony still couldn't believe that in 24 hours he had become so deep into this mess. How dared they turn his life upside down? He was angry. Not only the criminals but at the FBI too. Tony knew one thing they didn't know. He had some tricks up his sleeves and as long as he thought Kate would not get involved he was going to act like normal and enjoy every second he had with her.

"What kind of plans?" Kate then asked. She loved feeling only the soft blanket between their bodies. They were so close it was electric. Kate hadn't felt this happy in her whole life. A wonderful man had invited her to stay at a wonderful hotel in New York. She never thought this would happen. It felt too good to be true but she knew it was true. The memories over their spectacular night emerged from her mind. Kate thought this weekend couldn't get better.

"I thought I'll order up some breakfast. Then we'll take a shower. When the breakfast is here we'll eat and enjoy each other's company. Then I thought we should enjoy New York together." Tony explained to her.

"I love that idea. You must have put a lot of thought into this." Kate said thinking that he must have planned something special for her today. The flowers and chocolate last night were a surprise and they had especially enjoyed the chocolate very much in more ways than one.

"Maybe but I'm not telling you. So do you want anything special for breakfast? Strawberries, ice cream, bagels with chocolate…" Tony asked her.

"Some apple juice, fruits, bread and don't forget the coffee but most importantly I only want you." Kate said while turning around so she could see Tony. She was now lying on top of him. Tony took up the phone and pressed the button for room service. He ordered breakfast. After that he just looked at her. Kate just looked at him. The moment couldn't get more magical.

"I love you." Tony told her.

"I love you." Kate said in a very loving way just as Tony did.

"I'll race you to the bathroom." Tony then said but he knew Kate was on top of him and she would therefore have a head start.

Kate quickly went up and threw the blanket at him. Tony quickly moved up to catch her put she slid out of his grip. He then rushed to the bathroom where the shower had already been turned on.

"It isn't the only thing which is turned on now." Tony said while he slipped into the shower where Kate was standing.

"I know." Kate said before kissing him.

………………20 minutes later………….

Kate and Tony had just got out of the shower when they heard a knock on the door. Luckily both had put on their bath robes. Tony quickly went to the door. He slowly opened it in case it wasn't room service. When he saw it was room service he quickly felt relaxed again. Their breakfast was wheeled in and they sat on the bed just staring at everything they had ordered.

"I didn't think it would be this much." Kate said surprised. He had ordered much more than she ever could eat.

"I want you to have the best. Eat whatever you want and as much as you want. You deserve the best. Nothing but the best." Tony told her before kissing her.

"I can so get used to this." Kate then said.

"The luxurious life style?" Tony asked.

"No, silly…Getting kissed by you. Having you in my life every day." Kate said happily.

It was like an arrow of love was shot into Tony's heart but instead of filling it with more love it got bruised a little. He loved her more for every second which passed by and knowing he would break her heart was eating him up inside more and more. Tony didn't want to die with regrets so he blocked the bad thoughts out of his head.

"I can get used to that too." He said with a big smile.

Then they started to eat. Tony fed her some strawberries and Kate did the same with him. It was the best breakfast any of them ever had had.

…………..A while later…………

They had got changed and Kate was in the bath room putting on her make up.

"I'll just go down to by a newspaper. I'll be right back." Tony told her.

"Alright." Kate answered.

Tony took his cell phone and as soon as he closed the door he dialled a phone number. He thought it was a smart thing to put the cell phone on mute. Kate didn't hear all the text messages and calls he had got since she came. They were many because he had chosen to ignore them.

"I've seen your messages. What do you want?" Tony asked.

"How is the NCIS investigation going? Has Gibbs found out anything?" a man asked him.

"He knows nothing. Blunt covered up pretty well. Anyway he is searching for someone else." Tony said to them. He hoped it would get them to back off his team.

"I know about Ari…He's good at his line of work…I heard you are entertaining your girlfriend. Women love rich men and I know a good jewellery store." The man told him.

"We have other plans." Tony quickly said.

"Be prepared to change them. I'll call you when I know more…Have you seen the news?" the man asked Tony.

"Not yet." Tony answered.

"Do so before you leave your room." The man said before he hung up.

Then Tony quickly rang someone else.

"Hi, boss it's me Dinozzo. How are things going?" Tony asked. He had never mentioned Gibbs name to the criminals but he now knew they knew a lot about him. He had to see if Gibbs was alright.

"Better. How are you?" Gibbs wondered.

"I'm fine. Kate is fine too. She says hello." Tony said. He didn't know what else to say.

"I'm glad both of you are having a good time. I'll see you on Monday." Gibbs said.

"Monday. Bye." Tony said while nodding a little. It was just two days away. He didn't know what would happen on Monday.

"Bye." Gibbs said before hanging up. He looked out of his kitchen window and watched how winter was really taking over.

…………..

Tony wandered around the lobby forgetting about the newspaper he was going to buy. It had actually been a diversion so he could go out and make his calls. He then remembered there was a flower shop near the hotel. He quickly ran out of the hotel to go buy some flowers to Kate. Hopefully it would make her forget how long he had been gone.

It didn't take long before he was there and he had decided to buy a big bouquet of roses for her.

"They are nice." A familiar voice said.

"Blunt. What are you doing here?" Tony asked surprised.

"Telling you to wear your microphone! Don't forget it. So has he contacted you?" Blunt asked. Tony knew he knew he hadn't it on and came to remind him. Tony hoped he wouldn't show up again.

"That'll be 51.15 dollars." The clerk told Tony. He quickly dug up some money and gave the girl them.

"No exchange." Tony said while just taking the bouquet and leaving the store.

"He'll call me again later today. He said I should be prepared to change my plans." Tony told him. Tony looked at Blunt who didn't say a thing. The next thing Tony saw was Blunt walking away.

………….Back at their hotel room………

"I was getting worried." Kate said when he came into the room. Then Tony took out the bouquet he had behind his back.

"Awww…They are wonderful." Kate said glowing of happiness.

"I couldn't decide and then I thought roses expressed my love for you in the best way." Tony said hoping this would smooth things over. This day now really needed a good start since their plans could change quickly.

"I love them. I love you." Kate said before she kissed him.

"We're going to Central Park. It's not far from here. I hope you don't mind walking." Tony told her.

"Not at all." Kate told him. She then threw away the flowers Tony had bought for her yesterday and put the new ones in the vase.

While Kate did that Tony put on his microphone. It went so quick that Kate didn't notice it.

…………..

They were walking in Central Park holding hands. They talked and had a great time. Soon they saw a little café they could go to and just relax. They drank their coffee, ate their food and talked a lot. Kate was so happy that he thought she wouldn't notice how much he stared at every suspicious person around them.

"Is something wrong?" Kate asked him.

"I saw something we should do. Let's go." Tony said taking her hand. Then he saw the man from the criminal network, the same who had been at FBI and the airport. He wasn't alone this time. The other man showed him a cell phone and quickly opened his jacket to reveal a gun. Tony still had his phone on mute because he knew Kate would ask why so many text messages where sent to him and why he got so many calls.

"Let's just run as fast as he we can." He told her starting to run. Kate felt she had to run and she held his hand so she wouldn't lose him. After a little while they came to a bench and sat down.

"What's up with you?" Kate wondered.

"I wanted to do something crazy with you. Something unexpected." Tony explained hoping she would buy it.

"Ok…" Kate said not understanding. Tony didn't do these kinds of unexpected things. That much she knew.

"Why don't we find the horse carriage? It's romantic and something every couple in New York should do." Tony suggested.

"Ok…Where are we going then?" Kate asked. Tony hadn't thought that far. His adrenaline was still pumping and he was just thinking about avoiding two persons. He didn't see them anymore.

"If the zoo is open maybe that can be a good place." Kate suggested.

"The zoo it is." Tony said wanting to find the horse carriage as soon as possible.

…………….Later that night…………

Tony had successfully avoided the news and the network until Kate decided to turn on the TV. A big robbery had taken place yesterday and Tony knew who had done it. He wanted to turn the TV off but Kate wanted to watch. He started to delete some messages on his phone. They were so many and so unnecessary. Tony was just glad Kate and he had a wonderful day together. After the zoo they managed to go into Manhattan and walk around as he planned. Tony had reserved a table for them at a nice restaurant and they actually danced for the first time together in the restaurant. His plans had one goal and that was to make Kate happy. He had succeeded. Tomorrow they were flying home and hopefully the criminals would think he wasn't as useful in Virginia. Right now he was happy.

Kate then looked at the little bear Tony had won for her at the zoo. She already loved it so much. Then she cuddled up next to Tony.

………….The next day………..

When Tony woke up he saw Kate wasn't lying beside him. He got scared and quickly went up. When he heard her in the bathroom he calmed down. She was alright. Nothing was wrong.

"Kate, can you come out here?" Tony asked her. Kate came out in her night gown. She sat down next to him in the bed.

"You wanted to tell me something yesterday and I can tell you want to tell me something now. I'm not stupid. I noticed you went up two times during the night and left the room. I don't know what you thought you could do in the hallway or outside our room that you couldn't do inside here. Something is going on and I demand to be included right now. Don't hide things from me. Our relationship isn't built of lies." Kate said strongly. He wouldn't get out of not telling her the truth this time around.

"Wow…I didn't think you would…It isn't…I can't say." Tony said speechless. The right words couldn't be found no matter how much he had tried. How could he explain to her about the phone calls he had to make during the night when he thought she was sleeping? How could he explain what was going on? If he did then she was in danger. It made him physical ill knowing he couldn't tell her. He felt how the hurt in his chest grew bigger and his heart worked harder just to make him act like normal. Tony hated every second of this feeling and situation. He couldn't see a way out of this.

"I'm waiting for an answer!" Kate said to him looking very upset.

"Why don't we finish our packing?" Tony then suggested.

"Don't try to get out of this! I want answers! I'm good at getting answers. We're not leaving this room until I know the truth." Kate demanded almost yelling at him.

"Then we'll miss our flight." Tony said. No matter how much he wanted her to win this fight she couldn't. It was his job to make sure of that even if it'll break both of their hearts.

"Then I'm not talking to you for a while." Kate said to him before going to the bath room and slamming the bath room door. She was tired reasoning with her and she knew she had to try an unusual approach. She hoped it would work and Tony would tell her what was going on.

……………….At the airport………….

Tony and Kate were about to board the plane. They stood in the queue and they came closer and closer to the door. Tony put his arms on her arms.

"Kate. Listen to me. I can't come with you. You have to board that plane alone." Tony then suddenly said.

"What? Are you out of your mind? Why?" Kate asked. After calming herself down at the hotel she managed to start to talk to him again in the taxi. Now he didn't want to come home with her! His irrational behaviour was really getting on her nerves. The Tony she knew wouldn't act like this.

"I just have to." Tony answered.

"No, you're not. You're boarding the plane with me." Kate said feeling shocked, mad, upset and sad at the same thing. Was it her? Was this his way of saying he will stay in New York and he wants to break up with her?

"I can't. For your own good just board the plane without me!" Tony pleaded in a non pleading way.

"I'm not. Nothing can ever make me board the plane without you." Kate then said. She was determined to go home with him.

"If you love me then you'll do as I say." Tony then said. He wondered what he could say so she would do as he had told her to do.

"I'm an NCIS agent. I know when something is wrong and I don't take orders that easily especially from you. Tell me what is going on!" Kate demanded once again.

Tony had his wire on and right now he didn't care if Blunt heard what he said because if it meant Kate would be safe and him not then so be it. He then decided to put the microphone in his back pocket so the chance of someone overhearing them would be smaller.

"Someone will kill you if you don't do as I say. If you want to marry me then you'll board that plane without saying another word. You'll get my bags in Virginia and when you go out to the public area in the airport someone will be there to take care of you." Tony told her. Kate stood there in shock. Tony kissed her and said goodbye. He then left the queue. Tony saw how Kate walked down the hall to the airplane. She walked alone. Kate turned around a few times to see him. The pain in his face was so hurtful. Tony thought the same about Kate. Some tears fell down on Kate's face when she boarded the plane. Tony stood there watching the plane. He watched it take off and he didn't leave the airport until he couldn't see it anymore. As he slowly walked away some tears ran down his face. Right now he truly believed he would never see her again.

…………Outside the airport in New York…………..

When Tony had gone out he saw a person he knew standing beside a car. He knew it meant he had to get in the car. Where he was going he didn't know. If that person was good or bad he didn't know. By the appearance he felt the person was a criminal but who knew? He still didn't trust the FBI and he absolutely didn't trust the criminals? The only one who was losing in this situation was him. It was a lose-lose situation.

……………At the airport back home in Virginia……………

Kate did as Tony had told her. She picked up the baggage Tony had checked in as well as her own. She slowly walked out into the big waiting area. Who was this person who was going to take care of her? Was it someone in the team? Was it someone from another agency? Someone who is criminal and dangerous? The scary thoughts started to fill her head. Kate started to look around to see if she recognised anyone or if someone was looking for her. She stood there with her bags. Kate got worried. She had been worried during the whole flight home but as soon as she left the plane she was only focused on what Tony said would happen. Being sad and afraid wouldn't help her now but acting like a suspicious and careful NCIS agent would.

"I think you are looking for me." A man then said to her.

Kate slowly turned around. He came out of the blue. They stood there looking at each other. The man then picked up her bags.

"Gibbs. I'm so glad it's you." Kate then said with a sigh of relief. For the first time in hours she felt a little more relaxed. She thought about Tony. It then suddenly hit her Tony had proposed to her and she hadn't been allowed to answer his proposal.

"I'll tell you everything as soon as we're at my place." Gibbs explained to her.


	6. Chapter 6

………….At the so called network's "headquarters"…………………

"You're loyal now. You did a good job. It isn't so easy the first time a cop has to do a crime." A man told Tony when he had sat down at the round table. Tony acted cool and didn't say a thing. It had been hard enough to enter the car without knowing if he would live another second. When he learned they wouldn't kill him he felt better but that was just for a few seconds because then he was told what he was going to do next. To prove his loyalty he had to something he had never done before. Something a cop considers the worst thing to do. He thought his betrayal had already proven he was loyal but to them it wasn't enough. He knew that if he came out of this alive he would be in jail for a long time. Tony knew he needed to tell his family, Kate and the team to let go of him. Just calling them when he was alone seemed impossible now. They knew so much and maybe they even were able to see who he was calling and he didn't want to risk somebody else's life. Would he ever be able to find a phone booth when he was alone? He didn't even know where he was going to stay or what he would do next.

……………At Gibbs's house……………

"Ok. Tell me now. I can't wait anymore. How did you find out?" Kate asked Gibbs. He hadn't wanted to tell her on their ride home. Gibbs said he would explain after she had unpacked and got something to eat. Seeing his nice side was something she wasn't used to.

"He called me on Friday. Just when I was yelling at you and Abby. He told me everything." Gibbs answered. He was standing in the kitchen while Kate was sitting down at the table.

"Why didn't you stop me from going?" Kate asked. If something dangerous was going on then why let her go.

"He didn't want me to stop you. Tony loves you and wanted you to have the best weekend he could give you. I sense it was his way to say goodbye. I know you had a great time so he accomplished what he set out for." Gibbs explained to her.

"It isn't fair…It can't be over…There must be a way to get out of this…I don't understand why Tony got dragged into this." Kate said still shocked. The news would take a while to sink in. It was like a movie. She couldn't believe it.

"FBI told me Tony heard something he wasn't supposed to hear when he was kidnapped. Tony has no clue what that could be. The two kidnappers talked a lot but Tony couldn't hear everything since they had music on and he was later moved to the trunk. They thought it was better to use him for now then just kill him straight away so that's why the network threatened him and FBI wanted him. It is all so complicated and I still don't have all the facts. The rest of the team knows too and we'll start work on it tomorrow." Gibbs told her.

"Why aren't we working on it now?" Kate asked surprised. Gibbs always wanted to work on important cases 24/7.

"FBI doesn't want us to and until I know more I don't want to do something which endangers Tony's life. I've been promised a lot more information tomorrow and then I can compare them to the information we have on our case. I think it is frustrating too but I've done as much as possible these last three days. It's late and we should get some sleep. We will find him." Gibbs said before leaving the room. There wasn't anything else he could say to make her feel better so he thought it was for the best to leave her alone.

Kate sat there staring at the calendar. It was Sunday. It was the 1st of December. It was the day a guy proposed to her. The same day he left her alone at the airport with her unknown future.

"Tony, as soon as I see you again…My answer is yes and I think you already know that." Kate then said out loud.

………………

Tony wondered what got him to say that about marriage. He knew marriage was an important thing to Kate but how could he use that in trying to get her to board the plane without him. Wasn't the shock value big enough already when he said someone would kill her? He couldn't understand why he said that. To still have her hoping? To make sure she'll still be there even if he ends up dead or in jail? Tony felt so bad for using the word marry the same time he forced her on the plane. It wasn't right and Kate didn't deserve it. He wondered if Kate thought he proposed to her. He had never imagined he would do it in that way. Still the thought of being engaged made him happy. The proposal wasn't romantic or special. It was a sad moment. It must have made Kate really unhappy. Tony felt he was torturing Kate right now. He felt so bad.

…………….Monday 2nd of December…………..

"I think we're going to New York. We'll get a lot more done there since we have a case to work on here. I don't know who wants to come but a field trip to the FBI will learn us more. Abby can talk to her counterpart there and so can we. It shouldn't be so suspicious and everyone will learn something new. Any objections?" Gibbs asked.

………..At the airport in New York the same day……………

"It's snowing." Abby said when she walked out from the airport.

"It's beautiful." Kate then said. There was no snow when she was there with Tony. Now there was a lot of snow.

………..Outside the hotel…….

"Are you ok with living in the same hotel as you and Tony stayed at?" Abby asked her. They had just arrived at the hotel and they were now standing outside of it.

"The others were full. We have to take what we get." Kate answered trying to act like she didn't care but she did. She cared a lot.

"Can't believe FBI is willing to pay for all of this!" McGee said.

"It's their mess and they have to pay." Gibbs told them. He had a long talk with Fornell about this and some other things.

…….

Tony stood on the other side of the street and watched them. He was so close but still so far away. He couldn't contact them. Tony wished Kate would turn around so he could see her face. Suddenly his wish was granted. She looked so beautiful and he took a mental picture of her. Then he saw her looking at him. Right now he wished Blunt hadn't told him about them coming to New York.

"It's him. He's standing there. On the other side of the street." Kate then yelled to the others. Everyone turned around. They saw him and Tony saw them. He freaked. Tony didn't want this to happen. He had to leave before someone got hurt. His cell phone rang and he saw it was McGee. He didn't answer it.

"I have to talk to him." Kate said while taking a few steps. Gibbs then took her arm and stopped her.

"It's too dangerous." Gibbs told her. Then Tony quickly disappeared in the crowd and no one could see him.

"No…" Kate said. She wanted to scream but she couldn't.

…………Later that night at FBI…………

"We're not responsible for his actions. He makes the decisions. Agent Dinozzo killed someone. He showed his loyalty to them but he'll probably get a long sentence." Agent Malone told him.

"Tony would never kill someone." Kate told them.

"It was filmed. You can watch it if you want." Agent Malone told them.

"You can do a lot to a film." Abby told him. Altering a film was now quite easy.

"Not with these ones. They are from three different surveillance cameras. In the first one we see him put the guy in the car. In the second one we see him dump the car and in the third one we see him dump the gun. He is alone in all three of the films. The gun has his prints and we matched it to the bullets in the victim's body. The network knew this when they told Tony to do this." Agent Malone further explained.

"But there is no actual footage from him killing him?" Gibbs asked.

"No but it doesn't look good and we know they challenge a new member to see if he is loyal. This time the challenge was difficult but they now trust him. They would never just let him dump the body if he hadn't killed that person. One person should do everything so if somebody gets caught only that person gets caught. We know how they do things." Agent Malone further explained.

"I don't believe you." Kate then said. Agent Malone pressed play on the video player and then everyone saw what happened last night. Two guys went in a warehouse and one of them was Tony. A few minutes later Tony was dragging out a body and he put it in the car. They saw the whole film and even if it didn't show him killing him FBI had enough evidence against him.


	7. Chapter 7

……….After the FBI meeting……….

"I just feel like walking back to the hotel. I want to clear my head before getting there." Kate told Abby when they were in the elevator.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Abby asked her. Gibbs and McGee listened but didn't say anything.

"He looked like a completely different person on the film. All I could think about was that it wasn't him. It wasn't him. Deep down inside I know it is. I can't be with a murderer. I know I can't but my heart still says he's the only one I want to be with. It's so confusing." Kate told her.

"He can probably get a deal with the district attorney so he won't go to jail. Everything will go back to normal." McGee told her wanting her to feel better. He too had been shocked by the images. The Tony he knew wouldn't do it but he did. Or at least he did dump the body and gun. He was afraid what would happen to Tony when this was over. McGee didn't want to be the one who arrested him.

"I need to hear the truth from him. If he did it then it's over." Kate told them.

"It really feels like the TV-show Charmed and Phoebe and Cole. A lot of misery but in the end deep down inside they knew they couldn't choose themselves what to do. Have faith in Tony. It's too soon to give up. Too soon." Abby encouraged her. She knew Kate liked Charmed and maybe giving an example from it would help. Sometimes TV-shows have a big impact on people and their everyday life. She didn't want Kate to give up on Tony.

"It's just very hard." Kate told them before she quickly stepped out from the elevator.

"She'll listen soon enough. I don't believe he did it and I'm going to prove it." Gibbs told Abby and McGee. If he got them to believe in him maybe he could get Kate to do the same. Kate promised to work on the case until everything got solved but the aftermath of this case would probably cause bigger problems. Gibbs was still angry at Tony for going to New York but he couldn't tell anyone in the team about it or complain about it to them. His inner turmoil was too small at the moment to be considered as important. He was just glad he had one at home who did listen and gave him advice. She kept him sane.

……….

Kate walked quickly so she could get out in the fresh air. The snow was still falling and she had always loved it when it was snowing in the dark. She loved it more than when it was snowing during daylight. It felt mysterious and calming. There weren't many walking down in the street but it was understandable since it was cold. She looked up in the sky and snowflakes landed on her face. It felt uplifting somehow. She couldn't explain the feeling. The sensation which now went through her body… Then she felt someone putting their arms around her body. She started to scream since she knew the rest weren't far away.

Just then Gibbs, McGee and Abby came out. They heard someone scream and looked at the direction it came from. They saw someone holding Kate and dragging her into the alley. Kate struggled to get out of his grip but it was slippery and hard. Gibbs and McGee took up their guns and ran after. Abby shortly followed.

………….

The man let go of Kate.

"I'm warning you. Stay away from him. He belongs to us now. Tony wanted me to say that to you." The man told her. Kate stood there and time went so slow that she felt she had time to gather her thoughts.

"Tell him I said yes to the M thing." Kate told him. She thought Tony at least deserved to know even if he had done it. Kate also wanted to feel better so that's why she decided to tell the guy that instead of doing something else. The guy just stood there and didn't do anything else.

Then Gibbs, McGee and Abby arrived. They held up their guns at the guy.

"Let him go. He's just warning us. He's just the messenger." Kate told them. Her gut feeling told her it was the right thing to do.

"No." Gibbs said.

"Let him go." Kate turned around saying to them with an angry tone. Slowly the lowered their guns and the man ran away.

"Why?" McGee asked.

"Tony sent him. He wanted us to back of. I believed him and that guy probably doesn't know anything important anyway because Tony wouldn't have sent him and Tony knew how I would react. I would let him go just as Tony wants me to let him go." Kate replied.

"So that's it?" Abby asked wondering if Kate had given up already.

"No. Not until I'll talk to him. He has to face me before everyone else." Kate told them while brushing of some snow from her pants and coat.

"I knew it." Abby said quite happy.

"I am engaged to him so I think I have the right to have the last word not him." Kate said while walking out of the alley. She loved him too much to let him go now and to let him go this way. She wanted it to be her decision not his.

The others got surprised when they said she was engaged to him. Why hadn't she told them earlier?

………..A few seconds later……….

"So how did it go?" Tony asked the guy.

"I think it worked. She said I should tell you she said yes about a M thing. Whatever that means." The man said. Tony smiled because he knew he was now officially engaged. At least their communication skills were still working. The Tony gave him 500 dollars plus a one hundred extra. The guy thanked him before leaving but Tony was most grateful. He just wondered if her yes would mean she would let him go. He couldn't try to stop her again. It was too dangerous.

Tony watched his team leave the alley and waving for a taxi. He watched them until the taxi was out of sight. Then his phone rang and he knew he had to go back. He had missed a few things because of Kate's arrival but he wanted to see her one last time. It became two last times and he was happy about at least having that.

……..Back at the hotel………

"I'm just so tired of this drama. I don't want my life to be a drama. Not 24/7 anyway. I seriously need to talk to Tony about that. Set our priorities straight." Kate said when she opened the door. She and Abby shared a room. When they walked in they saw a man sitting on one of the beds.

"What took you so long?" he said to them. Kate slowly moved her hand closer to her gun. This time she had the chance of using it.

"I'll shoot your friend before you'll do anything." The man then said while picking up his gun from the bed.

"I don't think you took the warning seriously enough. I know what your boyfriend did. He's so stupid sometimes." The man continued.

Abby had her hand in her pocket. In her pocket she had her cell phone. She remembered that the last dialled phone number was Gibbs's phone. She pressed a few buttons so her phone would call Gibbs's. Gibbs answered it but couldn't hear a thing. He knew Abby wouldn't call him if something wasn't going on. He quickly left his room and went to McGee. They then ran up the stairs two floors up.

………..

"So are we just going to stand here? I just wanted to say I could have killed you a long time ago but I didn't. I'll leave this photograph as a memory." He said before standing up with his gun steadily in his hand. He put it on the bed and then he fired one shot. Gibbs and McGee were close when the shot was fired. The door was still slightly opened and Gibbs kicked it before he and McGee shot the guy.

"Are you alright?" Gibbs asked them.

"The warnings are getting frequent." Kate told them. Abby looked at the picture and it showed Tony holding a gun in front of the person who got murdered. The rest watched it too.

"Either we give it to the police or we'll be just like them. I still don't think he did it so being like them once won't hurt. I know what Tony is capable of and that isn't one of those things." Gibbs said to them. He got Tony to NCIS and he knew how he was though the doubts were now coming.

"If he tells us he did it then we'll give it to the police." Kate then said.

"We're committing a crime here but I'm not saying a thing." McGee stated. For once he wasn't sure which side of the law he was on and he thought the others felt the same.

Gibbs took the picture and put it in his pocket.

………….

The police came and Abby and Kate switched rooms. The hunt was on but they needed some sleep and FBI weren't so helpful telling them about Tony's whereabouts. Tony told them more than they did and they hadn't even talked to him.

………

"You're girlfriend and team got a visitor today. I think they'll back off now. They will never find you." A man told him.

Tony was now sitting in a car driving away from New York. He got worried and wondered what that statement meant. Where they dead? Why couldn't they just have killed him? He didn't understand why he was so important.

…………

Kate felt drained. This situation became harder for every second. She couldn't take it anymore. That's why she had locked herself in the bathroom so she could be alone. She sat down on the floor and Abby had tried to make her open the door.

………….

Tony pulled up at a gas station with a small diner. The other guy wanted to eat and Tony did as he was told. He saw his chance to call Gibbs or Kate. He had to make a decision on who to call. Who was most important? If he called Gibbs then he would be saving lives but if he would call Kate then he would just make her feel better. The other man left the car and waited for Tony to do the same. Tony got up, locked the car and slowly walked to the diner.

"I think I'll fill up the car with gas before we eat. I'll join you later." Tony said to him.

"No. We will fill up the gas together." He said before turning back. Then they drove the car closer to the gas pump and filled it up. After that they went to the diner. Tony waited and waited for his chance to call Gibbs. Then suddenly the man said he was going to the toilet. Tony thought he would never leave his side based on his earlier actions. Now he did. As soon as he was far away Tony quickly left the diner and called Gibbs on his cell phone. He didn't care if they would find out because he saw himself like a dead guy already.

"Tony. I thought I'll never speak to you again." Gibbs said when he answered the phone.

"Tomorrow three bombs will go off. They want to destroy the Christmas shopping. They haven't told me where but at least one will be in a big store in New York. Don't trust Blunt. He knows much more than he says." Tony told him. Then he hung up. He had told him everything he knew. He hurried back to the diner.

"You're a slow eater." The guy noticed.

"I was caught up in my thoughts. I'll finish up now." Tony said. He was glad he managed to get back in time.

"You'll be driving some more. I need some sleep. We're headed to Boston." The man told him. Now Tony knew where he was going.

…………..

Gibbs walked to Abby's and Kate's room. He wished he could have asked Tony if he had done it. He wanted to know. Gibbs knocked on the door and Abby opened it.

"She locked herself in the bathroom." Abby told him.

"Kate. Tony called. He told me about some bombs. He sounded alright." Gibbs told her.

"She won't talk to you. She hasn't said a word to me." Abby explained.

Kate only wanted to be alone in her sorrow and with her tears. She couldn't get the strength to say something.

Then Kate's cell phone rang. Abby quickly tried to find it. She found it and saw it was Tony who called.

"Kate, it's Tony." Abby told her.

"I'll break the door if you don't open it." Gibbs told her.

"That won't do the trick." Abby told him. She then answered the phone.

"She'll be right here." Abby told Tony.

The man had fallen asleep quite quickly and Tony had stopped the car to call Kate. He had to talk to her.

…………

Feedback would be very nice.


	8. Chapter 8

I hope it isn't too hard on you guys with me updating so often. Maybe you feel it is too much to read since I know you probably don't have time to go to ff so often. I'm just impatient and want to write it as fast as I can. If I had a portable computer this story would probably have been finished already but I guess it is a good thing that I don't have one. It's on my spare time I come up with ideas.

………..Around 3 am outside Boston…………..

Tony and the man had gone to a bar. He wanted to drink before they entered the city. Tony still didn't know what was going on. He had asked but was told to shut up. The man appeared edgy and after all these hours Tony still didn't know his name. The tension was getting higher between them and Tony feared what would happen in New York. Since he was driving he only drank water but the other guy wanted to drink heavier things. If he had a major role in what would happen in Boston he wouldn't drink Tony thought. The other man then demanded that Tony gave him his phone. Tony felt he had to do it. It was his only way to contact somebody and he was mad about having it taken away. Blunt had told them about him having a microphone on him so it had been taken away from him before they left New York. As much as he wanted to trust an FBI agent he couldn't. The other man they walked away from Tony, to go and call someone from his cell phone. Tony then saw his chance in doing something. Someone was already talking on the pay phone so he couldn't do that. He then asked the bartender for a piece of paper and pen. He got them and started to think about what to write. Just as he was about to write something down the other man came back. Tony quickly shoved the paper and pen to the guy next to him so it looked like it belonged to him. The guy started to talk about a shop near a railway station and how it would blow everyone away. Tony wondered how stupid he was but Tony guessed he now felt comfortable around him. The phone call had changed something.

"Who were you talking to?" Tony asked him.

"The boss. Blunt has double crossed them and if you will do the same you will suffer the same consequences he did." The guy told him. Tony knew that he had to do something to stop everything that would happen. He tried to pump out some more information from him while trying to figure out how he would tell the police. The guy drank some more and told Tony a little bit about the plans for New York. Suddenly the guy went to the other end of the room to make another phone call. Tony then saw his chance. He quickly wrote something down and gave it to the drunken man beside him while giving him some money. Tony told him what to do and hoped he wasn't as drunk as he appeared. A few seconds later the other guy was back. He said he and Tony had to go now. Tony quickly slipped his hand in the other guy's pocket to get his cell phone back. Tony then said he just tripped so he wouldn't notice the phone was gone. When they stepped outside the bar two men came up to Tony. They led him to another car. Tony felt this was all planned. He had done his part and was now getting killed. He ran back to the bar to make a phone call. The other men got surprised and it took a little while before they found Tony who was in the men's bathroom. He was talking to someone on the phone. The three men overpowered him and dragged him out of the room.

…………Tuesday the 2nd of December 6.05 am in New York………..

The team was at the FBI headquarters. Kate did finally open the bathroom door to talk to Tony. She quickly closed and locked it as soon as she had got the phone. They spoke for a few minutes before Tony had to go because he couldn't speak for a long time in fear of the other guy waking up. During their talk Kate left the bathroom and wrote down a few things on a notepad before heading back to the bathroom. It was clear to Gibbs and Abby she didn't want them to find out what they were talking about. When Kate had found some strength after the phone call ended she went out to talk to Gibbs and Abby. Tony had told her about the license plate of the car and how it looked like. He had told her about where he was headed and everything else he knew which wasn't a lot. After they had been informed Gibbs decided they had to go the FBI and get the police to find the car. They had been there for four hours but no police had seen the car. They had tried to see if they could pinpoint his location by where his cell phone was linking up to a cell phone station but it seemed Tony had turned off his phone. They got worried but not so worried. Tony had survived so far so why wouldn't he be alive now. Then the shocking news came.

………….A few minutes later……..

"We found the car and only one person was in it. No body was found in it and it seemed clean. No signs of struggle or blood. The person in it was not Agent Dinozzo. The arrested man refuses to say a thing. He had your agent's cell phone on him but it was shut off. Everyone in Boston is trying to find out if a bomb will go off there today so not many are trying to find agent Dinozzo. We'll do our best but we don't have a lot of time on our hands." An FBI agent told them as soon as he entered the room.

"Let us question him." Gibbs told him.

"I have to clear it with some people higher up but I don't think they will allow you. Some FBI agents are already on their way to Boston." The FBI agent continued.

"So we're the last to know?" Kate asked him.

"Yes. I have my orders and I have to follow them." The FBI agent answered.

"Tell them I don't like your orders." Kate said angry with her arms crossed. She was tired after being up all night. Gibbs wanted to go to Boston but with no car and not enough money to take everyone there he knew he couldn't if FBI didn't pay for it. If he had been at home he knew he could have done so much more. Gibbs hated not being at NCIS right now.

……….10.15 am………..

Time had gone so slowly and no new news had come. The guy in Boston still refused to talk. Blunt couldn't be found and Tony was missing. Giving the network's track listing everyone thought both were dead but no one said it out loud. Giving up was too easy and it was too early to do that.

"We should get something to eat." Abby told them.

"We ate two hours ago. I'm not hungry." Kate replied.

"I am…I feel so useless. They let us sit here and do nothing. I hate it. The hotel seems like a better place. It at least has a bed." McGee told them. He didn't like FBI now.

"I think you're on to something. Let's go back to the hotel." Gibbs told them. Everyone looked at him. They didn't thought he would suggest that.

"Yeah, well I think we need some rest in case they do find out something. Maybe we'll hear something from Tony and solve this case by our own. The FBI isn't making much progress." Gibbs concluded.

"How come you're so calm?" Kate asked him.

"He told you he didn't do it. If he could get out of that kind of tough situation then he can get out of this." Gibbs quickly answered. He was referring to the picture he had. It was still in his pocket.

…………….

Kate thought about what Tony told her while they talked. Tony had sworn to Kate he hadn't killed that man but didn't want to tell Kate what really happen. He said she shouldn't hear such things especially from him. Kate didn't want to argue with him and just let him talk. She didn't talk so much during their conversation. Still she wondered if Tony had only told her what he thought she wanted to hear. Maybe he did do it but didn't want to admit it. Sinking so low was hard and admitting and accepting it was harder. The team had talked a lot about it the last few hours and even if they truly wanted him to be innocent the evidence talked against him.

…………An hour later……..

"A bomb has gone of in a toy store. We don't have much info but that's what we have. Also a bomb was found in Boston. Apparently someone called the police in Boston around 3 am telling them where it was. Before he could say something else the phone call ended it. The dispatcher heard something sounding like a struggle. Some music was playing in the background like from a bar so no one knew if it should be taken seriously but they did. They are sending the call to us to see if you can recognise the voice. It'll take a few minutes so come to my room. It'll be on the computer." A FBI agent told them.

"Finally something. If it isn't Tony then we'll head back to the hotel. If it is then we'll decide what to do next." Gibbs ordered.

………

The man who called in sounded just like Tony. The team now got a lot more worried especially since the reports from the bombing kept getting updated. A few more bombs had gone off at the same time and people had died but since people were warned not as many died as intended.

………4. 45 pm the same day…………

Everyone had been back at the hotel for a few hours now. They still hadn't found Tony and Blunt was gone too. The hours seemed to get longer and longer. Kate had a difficult time accepting the situation but she did her best. Staring up at the ceiling and doing nothing wasn't helping. If she did something useful then she wouldn't feel so worse.

Then the stationary phone in the hotel room rang. She picked it up and it was someone in the reception who wanted to say she had got a message 14 hours ago. A guy said he had got paid by someone to call the hotel and leave a message to miss Todd. The message was that_ I'm ok and find the row road._

Kate didn't understand the last part of it but decided to go to the lobby with everyone to see if they could make sense of it. To her it was clear somebody had been looking at Tony so he couldn't call himself and that he couldn't tell an unknown person about bombs and such. When they got to the reception they read the note. Kate then asked why it hadn't been sent to her earlier but the answer was she hadn't been at her hotel room and giving messages to the guests wasn't high on their priority list when they had a lot more to do. They also managed to call the one who worked during the night to ask if he remembered anything about the call. All he said was that the man sounded drunk and he had to repeat himself several times before he said the whole sentence. He also remembered the person talking about four men in hurry and one of them being very mad at the other one because of a phone call.

Everyone got worried. Had the man in custody in Boston done something to Tony because of his call to the police?

………..Thursday the 4th of December……….

"Kate. It's time." Abby told her. They were going home. Blunt and Tony hadn't been found. They had done everything they could to find them and FBI said they had done it too. No one understood what the row road meant so Tony's last message didn't help them in the search. Blunt's family had given up and Tony's family didn't want to do it but understood that the likelihood of him being alive was very slim. Kate had a really hard time facing it. Now she had to go home and pack up her life with Tony.

"I'm coming." Kate told her.


	9. Chapter 9

………..Thursday the 18th of December……….

Abby watched her co-worker slowly walk to the door. Since they came home Kate had stayed over quite a lot. Maximum five days Kate had been alone in Tony's apartment. The memories kept crawling back to her and on the really bad days Abby had just gone and picked her up as soon as she had called so she could stay over at Abby's. Kate took Tony's disappearance really hard. At work she did her best during the circumstances but it was maybe because her mind had something to preoccupy itself with. When work was over the dark reality hit her. Everyone was mourning in their own way. Tony's desk was empty and Gibb's boss had pressured him into getting a replacement. As much as Gibbs had tried to put it off he knew sooner or later he had to do it. Because of Kate he had decided to wait until after Christmas in doing so. There wasn't so much work anyway which indicated he didn't need to hurry up with finding a replacement.

"Kate. Are you ok?" Abby asked her. She wondered since Kate had had nightmares a few times and looked sick lately.

"I think this is a good day. Let's just move on." Kate said as she opened the door. Moving on hadn't been so easy. Everyone had tried to comfort her but the first days after coming home she always wondered if it was Tony or the FBI calling every time the phone rang. Would she get some news or would she not get some news? Kate had now slowly started to accept that Tony possibly was dead. She just wanted a grave to go to so she could talk to him and tell him everything she didn't get the chance to tell him.

"I'm only a few feet away at work so just come over whenever you want." Abby told her while they were walking to the car.

"You don't have to say it every day. I know." Kate replied.

………….. At work…………..

Abby and Kate walked into the room as usual. Kate did the same thing she had done since they came back. Avoiding Tony's desk and trying not to look at it. Abby and McGee cleared his desk a week ago when Kate said she just couldn't do it. When she had to go home with the box she cried a little. When she and Abby went to Tony's apartment and Kate opened the box floods of tears ran down Kate's face. Abby noticed that her condition deteriorated for every day. She had begged Kate to talk to someone but she wasn't up for it. Just going to work was a big enough accomplishment for now Kate thought.

"Hey…I need some help with phoning some people. Want to do it?" McGee asked her. He had been really nice and reserved towards her since they came back. A little scared of making her cry after hearing what Abby told him about her fragile emotional state.

"I'll be right back." Kate said quickly going towards Abby's room.

"Did I do something wrong?" McGee asked not expecting an answer. It was a rhetorical question.

"No…Haven't you notice she has always gone to Abby the first half hour of work since we came back? You're a NCIS agent. You have to notice things a lot more." Gibbs told him. He was worried about Kate too. This was one of the reasons he had rule number 12.

"I'm working on it boss." McGee said to him.

………..

Kate went to Abby's lab and shut off the music.

"What's wrong?" Abby asked her.

"I'm late and Tony is dead." Kate quickly said. Gathering her thoughts was hard enough so saying things the right way was quite impossible for her.

Abby looked at her quite shocked. This was the first time Kate had said Tony is dead.

Abby went up to her and hugged her.

"I know. I'm so sorry. We'll help you through this." Abby then said while still hugging her.

"Abby…My period is late…Maybe it is because I've been through a lot of stress and my body is reacting in this way…" Kate told her. Abby let go of her.

"Or you're pregnant…OMG…" Abby said even more shocked.

"I can't raise a baby on my own and he's dead. Do you know how strange it feels knowing you may carry a dead person's baby? The last thing I might have of him inside of me?" Kate explained to her.

"You're not alone. You can stay at my place for as long as you want. I love babies." Abby quickly told her to make her feel better.

"I can't do that. Anyway I've been thinking about this for the past two days and…I don't know if I should be happy or sad…I know everyone else especially Tony's family would be really happy but I'm not feeling so happy. How can I become a mother when I can't even take care of myself?" Kate wondered looking sadder by the second.

"You'll be a great mother. Now we're going to a store to buy two pregnancy tests and to see if you are pregnant or not. We need to deal with it straight away." Abby told her. Then she grabbed her arm and they left the room.

…………..

"We're going out for a while. We'll be back soon." Abby told Gibbs and McGee when they were on their way to the elevator.

…….An hour later……….

Abby sat at Kate's desk waiting for her to emerge from the bathroom.

"Abby, what's going on?" Gibbs asked her.

"She has accepted Tony is dead." Abby answered before she got cut off.

"Then why is she in the bathroom?" Gibbs asked again.

"Because she thinks she is pregnant. We're trying to confirm it as we speak." Abby explained.

The two men got a bit shocked and hadn't anything good to say.

Then Kate emerged and Abby went to her. They both then entered the bathroom to look at both tests.

"Abby, tell me. I can't look at them." Kate told her. Abby looked at the tests and read the packages. She double checked and triple checked. She wanted to be sure before she told Kate.

"You're pregnant. Congratulations." Abby told Kate before giving her a hug.

"I am?" Kate said stunned. She hadn't wanted to believe it. Now she had to.

"Tony gave you a great Christmas present. The best you could ever get." Abby told her.

They let go of each other and Kate went up to the tests to see which colour they had. She then looked at the packages and yes indeed she was pregnant.

"He always knew what to give me. Tony always gave me great things. Thank you. I love you." Kate said while watching up at the ceiling.

"I'm sure he heard you." Abby told her.

……….

Then they went out to the rest.

"I'm pregnant." Kate told them.

"Congratulations." Gibbs and McGee said immediately.

"Thank you." Kate said before taking her seat.

"You'll get desk duty starting from now." Gibbs then told her. He knew that for Tony he could at least make sure she was alright and nothing would ever happen to her and the baby.

"I'm moving in with Abby. You'll have to update your telephone books now." Kate told them.

"Not a problem. Why don't you call your and Tony's family? I'm sure they want to hear the news." Gibbs said. He could also be very nice sometimes.

"I will." Kate answered.

…………Monday 22nd of December………..

"Back at work again." Kate said as she sat down at her seat.

"You seem happier today." McGee noticed.

"Been to the doctor's and I'm fine. The baby is fine too. Everyone is happy because of the baby. After everything they finally feel they have something to look forward to." Kate explained.

"A lot of pressure on you and the baby too. I said you should take it easy." Abby told her. She was still worried for Kate. The weekend hadn't been that easy for her.

"I already said she will be the godmother so that's why she is acting like this." Kate said with a smile.

"If I didn't know you better I would say you sound as fake happy as Tony did sometimes." Abby stated.

"Oh, the baby is affecting how I act." Kate said referring to one Charmed episode which Abby of course knew about. Both laughed a little. Of course Kate was still mourning but she had started to feel slightly better and she didn't know if it was because of the baby or all the support she had got from her own and Tony's family.

Gibbs and McGee didn't say a thing just observed. The office atmosphere had for the first time become slightly better since they came back.

………An hour later……..

Everyone was busy working trying to get as much done before Christmas. People were coming and going. Gibbs, McGee and Kate were all deep concentrated either in their paper work or what was on the computer. A guy had walked up and stopped in the middle of their office area. No one noticed it at first but Gibbs saw in the corner of his eye how a man had stood still for quite some time. He lifted up his head and he immediately thought he saw a ghost. It must have been. Was he daydreaming?

"Tony?" Gibbs asked while slowly standing up. When McGee and Kate heard Gibbs they lifted up their heads too. They couldn't believe their eyes. Just then Ducky and Abby were walking up to them. No one could believe it.

Kate slowly got up and walked to him. She touched his arm to see if it was him. It was.

Then instead of saying something Tony bent down on one knee. He was so happy over being granted the chance to come back to his own life. He never thought this day would come. Tony had missed them so much and had thought a few times why he should still be alive if life would only be an agony?

"Caitlin Todd will you marry me?"

Kate started to cry. She couldn't take it. He was there. Actually there.

"Am I dreaming?" Kate said after a while.

"No, you're not. Can I put it on your finger?" Tony asked.

"Yes." Kate answered still crying.

Tony then got up and kissed her. He then showed her his own ring.

"Tony…I'm pregnant." Kate then told him.

"I've been gone a little while and you're pregnant? Who is the father?" Tony joked.

"He's back!" Abby said feeling really privileged being able to see this special moment.

"I'm also staying at NCIS. There is no better place than this place." Tony said while holding Kate.

After Tony and Kate were finished with their reunion everyone hugged Tony and was so happy over the fact that he was back. The whole day Tony had to explain how the FBI had followed the car he was in so they could stop him from being murdered and then how they hid him for almost three weeks. They couldn't let him or Blunt contact anyone before everyone in the network were arrested. Now that they were arrested he could go home. Tony also explained how he wouldn't be charged of any crime and how the network murdered the man in the warehouse. Tony had held the weapon but couldn't fire. It was beneath himself. He then gave the weapon to the other guy and told him to kill him instead. Then the other guy shot their hostage and Tony had to dump the body and weapon if he didn't want Kate and the team dead.

…………….

Three months later they got married and had a beautiful baby daughter.

………………

THE END

I wonder if I managed to fool you a bit believing Tony was really dead.


End file.
